Day: November 24, 2016

Thank you to AccuWeather for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

The holiday season is upon us and so is the winter months. With it comes the higher increase in-house fires. Things like stoves and space heaters are the main cause of fires during the winter. AccuWeather teamed up with the FDNY to educate families in safety specially during this time of the year. They created the AccuWeather Be Ready program which is meant to educate and help people be ready all year-long. If you read the blog you know safety is pretty important to us and being ready so I was super excited to attend this press conference were AccuWeather talked about the partnership.

We also had the chance to see and experience how they educated first graders in their simulation room at the FDNY Fire Zone in NYC. One of the things that they talked about and I thought was great was using the app to stay informed. I didn’t even know they had an app, which is really convenient for families who are always in the go. I downloaded the app right away, since I’m always on the phone so is perfect for me.

During this press conference the FDNY also talked to us about the causes of fires and how to prevent them. One of the biggest causes of fires during this time are space heaters. People turn them on and put them to close to clothes or even sofas. To prevent the fires while using a space heater, make sure that there is absolutely nothing around it. Also is important to turn it off as soon as you are done using it. Never, ever go to sleep with the space heater on. Another important thing to do is make sure that the smoke detectors are working properly. Make sure the batteries are good and that is not expired.

If you are in an emergency, always have a plan. Teach kids their address in case they are the ones that have to call 9-1-1. Also make sure they know the families meeting place if you need to evacuate the house. I took time to ask the fire chief, James E. Leonard about some tips or things we should pay closer attention to. The one thing he mentioned was people who sit in their cars or leave their cars on inside the garage. This is dangerous because dangerous emissions are getting trapped underneath the car and could cause an explosion. I also asked him what’s the best age to start training your children and educating them about fire safety, his response: is never to early. Start teaching them as soon as they can understand you.

I think is great that there are so many resources educating and advocating safety and preparedness. This is something I’m so passionate about, because it’s important and it could save your families lives. I’m glad AccuWeather started this program for people to be ready, because weather is super important when it comes to safety, so they go hand in hand. If you want more information on the program please visit AccuWeather but you can also check out more information on their network as well as the app.